diff --git a/src/desktop/Window.cpp b/src/desktop/Window.cpp
index 0772b676406..2537eeb062f 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Window.cpp
@@ -1531,7 +1531,7 @@ PHLWINDOW CWindow::getSwallower() {
     static auto PSWALLOWEXREGEX = CConfigValue<std::string>("misc:swallow_exception_regex");
     static auto PSWALLOW        = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("misc:enable_swallow");
 
-    if (!*PSWALLOW || (*PSWALLOWREGEX).empty())
+    if (!*PSWALLOW || std::string{*PSWALLOWREGEX} == STRVAL_EMPTY || (*PSWALLOWREGEX).empty())
         return nullptr;
 
     // check parent